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From Age to Screen

I'll follow visionary director David Fincher anywhere - from his dark clunkers ("Alien 3", "The Game") to his dark masterpieces ("Seven", "Zodiac"). But even I have to wonder what made him take on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", a wildly overlong adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. To be sure, the film - about a man who is born old and ages in reverse - is technically and visually stunning. But the script, by "Forrest Gump" scribe Eric Roth, doesn't have much to say beyond the usual "live in the moment" affirmations. And at 165 minutes, you may begin to wonder if you could reverse time yourself and get some of your life back.

Clearly, the very concept of "Button" is a conceit (and one that was already explored to comedic effect on "Mork & Mindy", but I digress). To create a film around this premise is simply an exercise in storytelling: "Can you make a movie about a guy who reverse-ages?" Turns out you can, through the use of some jaw-droppingly fine special effects. But at least F. Scott Fitzgerald knew there was only enough fodder in here for a short story. To elongate the concept for nearly three hours reeks of, at worst, self-importance or, at best, poor judgment.

You can easily see the "Forrest" in Mr. Roth's slight retread of a script. Benjamin follows a similar character arc - a passive, impaired hero flits through the years touching the lives of various colorful characters. But where Gump interacted with real historic figures and caused us to see a reflection of these characters through his naiveté, Button stays closer to home. Sure, he does a brief stint in World War II and he visits New York and Paris, but otherwise the story of Benjamin Button is more about finding love when you're a boy in an old man's body.

And that's fine. There's a good story there and the performances, particularly by the women in Ben's life - Taraji P. Henson as his adoptive mother, Tilda Swinton as a socialite and Cate Blanchett as the love of his life, Daisy - are top-notch. But the material doesn't warrant the running time and, as a result, meaningless moments made to feel grand, as in the following head-scratcher, told by Ben in voice-over: "Isn't it funny how the people we can't remember sometimes make the greatest impact on us?"

Brad Pitt, who did some of his best work with Mr. Fincher ("Seven", "Fight Club"), is a curious choice to play Button. The actor has always been a very external performer; his best work ("12 Monkeys", "Snatch", in addition to his work with Mr. Fincher) tends towards characters of barely-contained eccentricity. As Button, Mr. Pitt is forced to turn inwards, and the result is a performance that can barely compete with the special effects around it. But this is not entirely the fault of the actor. Where Gump was a character whose malady was externalized, Button is the opposite. As we watch Mr. Pitt work (and yes, you can see it happening), we imagine the choices he's making as an actor rather than experiencing the character.

Happily, there is plenty going on around Benjamin to look at - if not entirely keep you still for three hours. Aside from the brilliant work realizing the reverse-aging process, there is also some fantastic age makeup on Ms. Blanchett (as Daisy in later years). And while this may be Mr. Fincher's most visually staid film, it still has a pristine beauty to it. But that's to be expected. Mr. Fincher has already proven himself a director of impeccable vision. Now, as he ages in the correct direction, he needs to make some less "Curious" choices.